LOS ALAMITOS– City Council members stripped a planning commissioner from his post this week, saying he circumvented proper procedure in an effort to get the council to put a temporary hold on any medical projects in the city.

Art DeBolt, the Planning Commission member, says his removal was based on political motives.

“I’m not upset…they asked me to be on there and I know they can take me off,” DeBolt said. “What I don’t like is the way they did it.”

Council members at their meeting Monday in a 4-1 vote removed Art DeBolt from his commission seat, a position he has held for two years. Councilwoman Gerri Mejia cast the dissenting vote.

Mayor Troy Edgar said he believed DeBolt tried to go around proper procedure to influence policy over a proposed $200,000 contract for an environmental review of the Los Alamitos Medical Center specific plan.

“This, to me, is an infraction of somebody that has gone rogue,” Edgar said. “He bypassed his colleagues on the Planning Commission. I do believe he’s circumventing the process because he knows the process.”

Talk of DeBolt’s actions spiraled into discussion Monday about what some council members called deficiencies in the Planning Commission, citing recently cancelled meetings and the effect on local businesses. The council also voted to hold a workshop with commissioners in conjunction with ousting DeBolt.

DeBolt, who also served on the council for one term, submitted a letter to the council asking for a temporary hold on any medical projects in the city until discussions regarding the city’s future could take place.

His suggestion for a moratorium came after an item was placed on the council’s Aug. 3 agenda that would grant a contract of up to $200,000 for the medical center’s specific plan. The proposed contract said the medical center would pay the city to front the money for the study.

A specific plan is generally a long-term outline for future progress of an area. Components of the plan have not yet been discussed by the council.

The contract proposal was placed on the consent calendar but it was continued to a later meeting. Consent items are generally passed without public discussion and considered usual business.

“How can you enter into a $300,000 contract and put it on the consent calendar?” said DeBolt, who added that the contract amount might be more than the city’s estimate.

He asked that discussion of a moratorium on medical projects be on the Planning Commission agenda but said he was told that all business had to be presented to city staff at least 29 days before the meeting. He turned in the request six days before the scheduled meeting.

Although DeBolt would not be able to discuss projects specific to the medical center because he owns property within 500 feet of the facility, he said he was concerned about future plans for the center that have not yet been brought to the public and could potentially impact future businesses on Katella Avenue.

“I do care about what’s going on here,” he said. “I live in the city, my business is in the city and my investments are in the city.”

Mejia, who put his letter on the agenda so the council could discuss it, said she had similar concerns. But the majority of council members said they believed DeBolt was acting as a representative of the commission and unfairly pushing his views.

Mejia said she was insulted by the allegations against DeBolt, who she said spoke before the council as a citizen.

“I’m really concerned about this misrepresentation that something underhanded was done… I don’t think it’s appropriate,” she said.

DeBolt said his intentions were being skewed from the dais.

“They’re shooting the messenger because they don’t like the message,” he said. “They don’t want the issue of a moratorium ending up in their laps because it would require them to make a decision.”

Councilman Dean Zarkos said he felt DeBolt abused his authority as a commissioner.

“I do believe the process has been corrupted,” he said. “I believe the integrity has been compromised.”

Some council members alleged the advancement of two businesses have been hindered because the commission could not get together. Edgar said a business deal with CVS Pharmacy nearly fell through because the company couldn’t get on the commission’s docket.

The commission didn’t meet in July because of lack of business or in August because not enough commission members were available to meet. DeBolt showed up to the August meeting.

“This commission, I think, got slammed in an unjustified manner — all under the heading of trying to railroad me out to make it look bad,” he said.

Council members on Monday also voted to set up a workshop with the six remaining commissioners, and members of other city boards, to lay out the council’s expectations to ensure city business runs smoothly.

“We do need to come up with specific policies and procedure,” Councilwoman Marilynn Poe said. “Any business should not have to deal with this kind of bureaucracy.”

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